Coming Home // Sidemen AU (Minizerk)

Meeting Vik

Vik is eleven when he meets Josh for the first time. Josh is fourteen. Vik's family has recently moved to London from Sheffield, talk about completely different worlds. Vik is small and quite timid for his age and London is full of a lot of big personalities. It takes the young boy a while before he doesn't feel lost at all times whenever he sets foot outside.

As it happens, it is getting lost for real that allows him to meet Josh. His family have gone out for a meal and Vik has wondered off to take some photos of the Thames. It's a nice evening, chilly seeing as it's almost Christmas, and the evening sun is casting a pretty reflection on the water.

Vik doesn't think he's walked off too far, but when he turns back to try and find his family, he can't see them anywhere. Anxiously, he searches the bank for them, but ends up walking off in completely the wrong direction, common sense never was his strong point.

After half an hour the young boy is very upset and there are tears forming in his eyes. He is alone in a new city and he has no idea what he's meant to do next. If people notice the upset boy they don't try and help, it's none of their concern, they'd just rather walk on by and pretend they saw nothing. Vik wished he was allowed a phone of his own so all this mess could have been avoided.

He is sitting with his head down at a bench when he senses someone sitting next to him. He stiffens and hopes it isn't anyone too scary or creepy. Looking to his left he is relieved to find a boy only a few years older than himself. The boy his dressed all in black except for a grey beanie, kind of scary except he is carrying a build-a-bear bag with him. Vik decides he isn't in danger with this kid.

"Are you alright?" the boy asks him after a few seconds.

Vik is startled. He's not the best at talking to strangers, especially other kids, he's always been better at talking to adults.

"Umm," is all manages to say.

The boy turns and smiles kindly at him. Hazel eyes shining under the Christmas lights. "Not in the festive spirit are we?"

"I got lost..." Vik feels kind of stupid admitting it to this boy, but right now he's just hoping this kid will help him out in some way. Maybe just lend him a phone or change so he can call his parents.

"You mean to?" asks, seriously this time.

"What?"

"You mean to get lost? I understand if you did. I used to "get lost" all the time when I was your age." Vik has no idea what the boy is talking about, and it must show on his face because the strange kid leaves the topic alone.

"C'mon kid," he says standing up.

When Vik looks up in confusion, he explains, "I saw a couple who looked like they could be your parents searching frantically further up river. They had another kid with them, about this tall, wearing a blue jacket." Yes! That was his brother.

Vik stands up with a big smile on his face and the boy takes him by the hand, even though they are both too old to be doing such a thing. He takes them to takes him to the nearest restaurant and asks to use their phone so Vik can call his parents. They find out each others names while they wait and Josh is quite amused to learn that Vik was called Vik, he just said he associated that name with old men in the pubs. Josh keeps Vik entertained while they wait and he doesn't leave the small boy's side until his parents come and collect him.

His mum and dad are eternally grateful for Josh taking care of there son, and offer to give him a lift to the station. Josh accepts and Vik is able to get to know the older boy a bit more in the car. He finds out that he already has a part time job at fourteen with his friend Tobi and that the bear in the bag is a kind of joke Christmas present for his oldest friend Simon.

Vik's parents ask him about his own parents, wanting to know what age they allowed Josh out on his own. Josh says they never really cared what he did and Vik can see that immediately sets alarm bells ringing in his father's - who is a pediatrician - head. Josh, sensing that what he's said hadn't gone down too well, quickly corrects himself and just says he was always too independent for his own good.

Nevertheless, his statement leads his parents to ask him over for dinner. Vik blushed when they ask, as if they are showing him up in front of a new friend, but to his surprise Josh graciously accepts the offer.

And so that one meal on a Friday night lead into meals most Friday nights. And Vik and Josh become good friends. After a year or so Josh asks if he can bring some of his other friends round and Vik is excited if not a little nervous. The first meeting goes very well though, even if he was a little bit intimidated by JJ at the start when the boy randomly starts humping a chair. Josh assures him that JJ is a good guy deep down so Vik believes him.

Vik is always aware that his parents are interested in Josh's home situation but the older boy is a master at avoiding any too in-depth questions. Vik thinks his parents are also afraid if they pry to much the boy will just stop turning up anyway.

One time Josh turns up with his wrist in a cast. He never tells them how it happened and his parents never ask. Vik thinks he knows how it happened. He and the other lads often have long conversations when Josh isn't around about what a piece of shit his dad is. Sometimes his parents will ask him if Josh was okay and Vik would say he was.

Josh's life wasn't perfect but he always tried to see the best in a situation. He is always the motivator in their group, making the others see that not everything is always doom and gloom. He can act like he can cope with anything but sometimes, occasionally, Josh needs to be around someone who has been protected from so many of the horrors he had to witness at a young age. That's why he likes having Vik around.

Josh is a tough kid but sometimes he just seems so naive. Like when Vik's family finds out he's never eaten out at a proper restaurant before and decide to treat him to a meal out. Vik is unsure if his friend finds it more enjoyable or stressful. The boy is nervous throughout the whole meal, constantly asking if he's using the right cutlery or what the French named meals meant.

At the end though, Josh says that was one of the best nights of his life. That's also the same night that he tells Vik he's one of his best mates. Vik teases about it and Josh laughs it off but they both know the words were true. Josh, along with Simon, Ethan, Tobi and JJ had become the type of friends he never thought he'd have. He never thought guys like them would want to hang out with a nerdy kid like him.

But none of them were ones to play by the stereotypes. None of them wanted to just be like every other kid their age. They had plans, big plans. The six were going to go places, and they were going to do it together, as a team, as a family. But then again, it's funny how things never work out quite the way you expect them to.

Next chapter we finally get to the proper story!